NATIONAL Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Camilo Cascolan ordered on Friday, May 4, the relief of 11 policemen from the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) over the alleged extortion from an apprehended drug suspect.
"Police Director Cascolan immediately ordered the relief of the policemen from their present post and they will be restricted at the district headquarters in Camp Karingal pending further investigation of the case and filing of administrative and criminal cases," said QCPD director Joselito Esquivel Jr.
Relieved were: Chief Inspector Erwin Guevarra, commander of the Galas Police Station Drug Enforcement Unit and his men, Police Officer (PO) 2 Noel Sanchez, PO1 Edward Ramos, PO1 Michael Eric Ramirez, PO1 Ray John Rodriguez, PO1 Gaudencio Escoton Jr, PO1 Sepzon Suclad, PO1 John Ryan Rodriguez, PO1 Dennis Eria and PO1 Leny Atma.
Esquivel said the station commander, Superintendent Igmedio Bernaldez, was also sacked over command responsibility.
The operation against the erring policemen stemmed from a report from Lorenzo Miguel Soriano, whose uncle was arrested in a drug bust around 4:30 a.m. of Thursday, May 3, in Tomas Morato in Quezon City.
Soriano said he was visiting his uncle, Flexis Jeffrey Soriano who was detained at the Galas police station, when the arresting officers demanded for P200,000 in exchange for his release and to avoid being slapped with charges.
He said he immediately delivered the money to the Station Drug Enforcement Unit Office in the said police station and was told to just wait outside for the release of his uncle.
However, Soriano said at around 4:00 p.m. of the same day, the arresting officers demanded an additional P100, 000 which prompted him to seek police assistance.
"An entrapment was set by combined operatives of the District Intelligence Division, District Special Operations Unit and Special Reaction Unit that led to the arrest of the above mentioned policemen inside the headquarters of PS (police station)-11," said Esquivel.
He said aside from the criminal charges of robbery-extortion, administrative case will also be initiated by the District Investigation and Detection Management Division against the arrested anti-drug policemen.
"The arrest of the policemen should serve as stern warning to all personnel who do not cease from their criminal activities. Bahagi pa rin ito ng patuloy na ginagawang internal cleansing ng PNP sa pamumuno ni Police Director General Oscar Albayalde at Police Director Camilo Cascolan," Esquivel added. (VoxPop Philippines)